Dubai’s growing student population fuels TNE expansion

Following the January 2025 launch of a new British Council report examining transnational education (TNE) opportunities in the Middle East, delegates of a conference hosted by Middlesex University Dubai heard about the country’s growing demand for branch campuses, writes Polly Nash for The PIE News.

“By 2040, we’re anticipating that we will more than double enrolment in higher education,” a speaker from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority told delegates. “Taking into account the current capacity and future expansion plans of existing universities, we anticipate we will need 10 to 15 more branch campuses to deal with demand. Supply is growing exponentially, and the education sector has to respond,” said the speaker.

The UAE has become a key regional and global hub for TNE, hosting over 237,000 international students in 2023, noted the report. Currently, there are 57 international institutions in Dubai, most of which are branch campuses located in the developmental ‘free-zones’ of Dubai’s Knowledge Village or Dubai International Academic City. Nine of the branch campuses are run by UK institutions.
Full report on The PIE News site